Paduka

Ewaborate paduka wif high pwatform was part of a bride's trousseau.[1]

Paduka is India's owdest, most qwintessentiaw footwear. It is wittwe more dan a sowe wif a post and knob, which is engaged between de big and second toe.[2] It has been historicawwy worn in Souf Asia and Soudeast Asia.

It exists in a variety of forms and materiaws droughout India. They might be made in de shape of actuaw feet, or of fish, for exampwe, and are made of wood, ivory and even siwver. They are sometimes ewaboratewy decorated. The more ewaborate shoes couwd be part of a bride's trousseau, but couwd awso be given as rewigious offerings or be demsewves de object of veneration, uh-hah-hah-hah.[1]

Awdough simpwe wooden padukas couwd be worn by common peopwe, padukas of fine teak, ebony and sandawwood, inwaid wif ivory or wire, were a mark of de wearer's high status.[2]

Today paduka as footwear is generawwy worn by mendicants and saints of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Its significance in Hinduism is winked to de epic Ramayana. "Paduka" can awso refer to de footprints of deities and saints dat are venerated.[3][4][5][6]

It is awso de royaw symbow in Mawaysia; "Seri Paduka" denotes "His Majesty", which is a titwe bestowed as an honour of recognition to de dignitaries of Mawaysian court for deir outstanding contribution to de betterment of deir State.[8]

The word pada ('foot') is cited in de ancient Hindu scripture - Rigveda, as representing de universe namewy de Pridvi (earf), Vayu (air), Akash (sky) and de ewement of de reawm beyond de sky.[7]

In de Hindu epic Ramayana, King Dasarada who had a curse on him, sent his son Rama (an incarnation of god Vishnu) for 14 years of exiwe, at de behest of his wife Kaikeyi (step moder of Rama) as she wanted her son Bharata to be crowned as de king. Rama, his consort Sita and broder Laksmana went into a forest to spend deir period of exiwe. But Bharata did not want to have de kingdom. He, derefore, met Rama who was wiving in de forest and beseeched him to return to Ayodhya. When Rama towd Bharata dat he wiww return onwy after compweting his fourteen years in de forest, Bharata reqwested for Rama's paduka to serve as his proxy, to be crowned in Ayodhya Raj Singhasan (King's drone) of Kosawa country and to serve as an object of veneration for Rama's fowwowers. Bharata carried Rama's gowden sandaws (padukas) wif great reverence by pwacing dem on his head as a mark of his obedience to his ewder broder. Bharata ruwed Kosawa as Rama's proxy in de name of "Ram's Padukas".[7][8]

The footwear is typicawwy a sandaw, which has generawwy a wooden sowe wif a post and a stub to provide grip to de foot between de big and second toes. It is awso known as karrow, kharawan and karom and used in de Indian subcontinent mostwy by mendicants, saints and common man for speciaw occasions.[1] Made in de shape of de footprints, wif two narrow and curved stiwts, de design is specific to ensure dat de principwe of non-viowence - practised by de saintwy fowwowers of Hindu and Jain rewigions - is not viowated by accidentaw trampwing on insects and vegetation, uh-hah-hah-hah. The often heard prayer on de wips of a Brahmin wearing such a paduka is: "Forgive me Moder Earf de sin of injury, de viowence I do, by pwacing my feet upon you dis morning."[9]

Padukas made of ivory were in popuwar use among royawty and saints. These are, however, made from ivory of dead ewephants or extracted from wive domesticated ewephants. Ewephants are not kiwwed for de purpose of making such sandaws because Hindu rewigious edos does not permit such cruew acts.[10] Padukas are awso worn by common peopwe. But peopwe of high status in de society wear padukas made out of fine teak, ebony and sandawwood and inwaid wif ivory or wire. It is awso made in de shape of a fish, as a symbow of fertiwity.[11]

A uniqwe pair of wooden padukas has toe knobs inwaid wif ivory wotus fwowers and is minutewy painted. At each step, a trigger mechanism in de sowe signaws de wotus to open from bud to bwossom. It is awso made in de shape of an hourgwass or wif carved toes.[4]

Eighteenf-Century footwear used as rituaw wear made of "wood wif bed of sharp iron spikes" has been found. It is inferred dat it was meant to be used to infwict pain to de wearer to demonstrate his conviction in rewigious forbearance of pain, uh-hah-hah-hah.[4]

Paduka is awso gifted as part of a bride's dowry. They are worshipped and awso given as votive offerings by de faidfuw bewievers.[9]

In a festivaw associated wif de Hindu god Vidoba, piwgrims travew to his Pandharpur tempwe from Awandi and Dehu towns dat are cwosewy associated wif poet-saints Dnyaneshwar and Tukaram respectivewy, carrying de Padukas of de saints in a siwver pawkhi (pawanqwin).

The popuwar rewigious bewief is dat of de contact (sparsh) wif de Sawabhanjikayakshini's foot. It is said dat when de Yakshini encircwes a dormant tree wif her weg around it, it starts to bwossom and bear fruit. Shawabhanjika yakshi is awso an embewwishment in de form of an architecturaw bracket in many Hindu tempwes.[7]

Anoder notabwe feature of veneration is of goddess Lakshmi, de goddess of prosperity. On Deepavawi festivaw day, Lakshmi is devotionawwy ushered into de house by symbowic representation wif a series of her foot prints (paduka) drawn in paint or kowam and wighted aww awong wif oiw wamps, from de main door of de house into de private sanctum in de house. This is done wif de prayerfuw wish dat good fortune shaww be bestowed by her on de househowders.[5]

Bewow de Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya where Buddha got enwightenment, dere is a vacant drone dat is adorned wif de foot prints on a foot rest of de Buddha. This pwace is deepwy venerated.[7]

Vishnupad tempwe

These simpwe Padukas are worn by saints and mendicants.

Vishnupada Mandir is said to enshrine de footprints of god Vishnu.[13] This footprint denotes de act of Vishnu subduing Gayasur by pwacing his foot on Gayasur's chest. Inside de tempwe, de 40 centimetres (16 in) wong footprint of Vishnu is imprinted in sowid rock and surrounded by a siwver-pwated octagonaw open encwosure.[14] The tempwe is 30 metres (98 ft)in height and has 8 rows of ewegantwy carved piwwars dat support de paviwion.[15] Widin de tempwe precincts, de banyan tree cawwed de 'Akshayabat' is wocated where de finaw rituaws for de dead takes pwace.

Paduka Sahasram

Paduka Sahasram, witeraw meaning "1000 verses on de padukas of de Lord", is devotionaw poetry extowwing de virtues of worshipping de Paduka (feet) of god Vishnu whose deity is enshrined in Sri Ranganadaswamy Tempwe in Srirangam in Tamiw Nadu. It is considered a sacred script of de Sri Sampradaya or Sri Vaishnavism, who are known by de surname Iyengar, awso spewt Ayyangar in Souf India. The Sahasram was composed in 1008 verses in 32 chapters by Swami Vedanda Desika, a fowwower of de Vishishtadvaita phiwosophy propounded by saint Ramanujacharya. It is awso said dat Desika composed dis magnamopus, as a chawwenge to his rivaw group of Tengawai Iyengars (Iyengars bewonging to de soudern schoow of de Srivaishnava phiwosophy), in one yamam of a night meaning one qwarter of a night, which was accwaimed as a master piece of rewigious poetry and he was awarded de titwe of Mahakavi. The euwogy of de Lord's Paduka by Desika is spun around Rama's sandaws (Paduka), which ruwed de kingdom of Ayodhya for 14 years. He propounds dat it was due to de speciaw rewationship dat peopwe of Ayodhya had wif Rama's Paduka dat dey attained wiberation, meaning sawvation in wife.[16][17]

Paduka Poojan done during Satchidanand Utsav

Guru Paduka Sdodram

Adi Shankaracharya has awso written nine devotionaw verses under de titwe "Guru Paduka Sdodram" as sawutations to his guru, in dis case meaning de Lord. The Engwish wanguage transwation of de first verse means:[18]

Sawutations and Sawutations to de sandaws of my Guru,
Which is a boat, which hewps me, cross de endwess ocean of wife,
Which endows me, wif de sense of devotion to my Guru,
And by worship of which, I attain de dominion of renunciation, uh-hah-hah-hah.

Paduka Poojan (Worship of Paduka)

As per Ramayana (an ancient Indian epic), Bharada (broder of Lord Rama, Indian Hindu Deity) reqwested for de pious paduka of Lord Rama so dat dey can be pwaced on de drone on behawf of de Lord tiww he returned from de 14 years of wong exiwe. Bharada worshipped his padukas in his absence. This was de first universaw Paduka Poojan (worship) of Lord Rama performed by Bharada and hence cawwed de first universaw Satchidananda Utsav (Cewebration of Truf, Consciousness and Bwiss)

"Satchidananda Utsav" is organised by Sadguru Shree Aniruddha Upasana Trust (Mumbai, India) and cewebrated every year on de second Saturday of de monf of "Margashirsha"(ninf monf of Hindu cawendar). It is usuawwy performed for two to five consecutive days. The howy paduka's worshipped during de Satchidananda Utsav are prepared from de paper puwp of Ram Naam books issued by Aniruddha's Universaw Bank of Ram Naam and written by dousands of devotees across de worwd.[19][20][21][22]